crcdiver 0 Posted August 6, 2006 Aurora Reservoir!!!! The viz can be an incredible 20ft on a good day and the annual crayfish migration is not to be missed. Its a balmy 59 degrees and the water is a wonderful, muddy slime green color. Its enough to make a limey homesick. Gary <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Come on now Gary, your holding back. You didn't mention the wreck (twin Engine Cessna) or the bass, wipers and the treasures dropped by newbie divers in training. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ce4jesus 1 Posted August 7, 2006 Hey CRC, Okay you're right ... but who'd believe what a delight the place is if I mention things like the sunken canoe (our version of the Spiegal Grove) or the spent vulcan rounds from the strafing that occurred during the 1950's. Too funny....to think I'm actually looking forward to my next adventure there...haha. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caymaniac 0 Posted August 13, 2006 I guess I'll add......What about PNG with a liveaboard? I've been to the Red Sea, and I think that the coral formations in the Fathers and Witu's as well as the fish life far out weighed any place I've been. There was pristine areas of corals, even some large sharks, schools of jacks and barracuda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frogfish 5 Posted August 14, 2006 I really wanted stay out of this one, hoping this thread would just die away, but like the maggoty-fleshed corpse of the undead in some film by George Romero on late night cable, it keeps crawling out of its crypt and dragging its slimy tail across the floor. Those of you who know me already know I find even the idea of photographic competitions repellent, ethically and aesthetically. This too. The question" "What is the best dive destination in the world" is either insane, or meaningless, but probably both. It may be fair to ask who has run the fastest mile, written the longest book, or who eaten the most hot dogs in a one-hour sitting, though personally I cannot imagine why anyone would find such questions interesting or important. But asking "What is the best symphony ever written?" or "what is the greatest painting?" is to utter nonsense. What is the best novel ever written? Who is the most beautiful woman in the world? Who was the world's best pianist? Is there one kind of flower in the world prettier than all others? What kind of person asks questions like this? Or would try to answer them? (I mean, of course, who other than Donald Trump, Britney Spears, their staffs or pathetic wannabes.) Tell me that you loved a sunset you once saw from a cliff above the California coast at the end of a magical day, a view you once had of wildflowers growing on a hillside in spring, or the memory of the sight of a whale breaching in the morning sun. Tell me there is a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins that sends chills down your spine, or a painting by Caravagio that tears your heart, or a certain violin concerto that, for you, is a kind of rapture. I'd be happy to hear about any experience underwater that you consider, as an experience, to be among the best dives in your life (so far). If you happen to be a person who has dived many places in the world, and whose judgment and experience I've come to respect, then I will pay a lot of attention to what you say. But as to making ranked lists, or to even try to discuss the "best " dive destination (or the best anything) in the world - please spare me. Frogfish Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeanB 19 Posted August 14, 2006 Ha, ha Love it Robert.... Now tell me.. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE........................... Come on, you can tell us...... O.k be like that. Dive safe DeanB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig Ruaux 0 Posted August 14, 2006 To give this maggot-infused George Romero corpse a soupçon of respectability, it does seem to me that most posters are colo(u)ring their replies in terms of "their personal favourite" site, the place that they feel is the best in the world, without trying to present themselves as an authority on the subject of what is the best location in the world. Or they're being sardonic (DeanB, I'm looking at you ) So I'm going to join without a couple of others, and say that Cocos Island, and particularly Alcyone, are my current favourite location and site, respectively, having just edged out the Galapagos and Darwin's Arch. That plus $1.75 are about to buy me a "Grande Americano" (ick, what a word) from the cafe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tom_Kline 141 Posted August 15, 2006 I'll put in a plug for the one in Micronesia because I tend to use the 'Blue Corner' as a yardstick for comparison. Yes, have found a few other sites that I rate close to the BC. One was in the Coral Sea off OZ, another is the backside of Molokini. Belau also has other sites! <- Looks more like an SB800 than a Guiness!! Tom Hey, I have just been to Palau. Nah, not the new one. But the town of Palau in Sardinia, Italy! North Red Sea is a great wide angle photo destination. Guarenteed sun. Decent viz. Colourful reefs, clouds of anthias and photogenic ship wrecks. Not the most exotic. But very productive: http://www.amustard.com/?page=rs06gal&subpage=photo Alex <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anthp 0 Posted August 15, 2006 <- Looks more like an SB800 than a Guiness!! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yeah, that's what I thought it was when I first saw it too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RebreatherDave 0 Posted September 2, 2006 (edited) I've been to Yap, and I've been to Puerto Galera......Yap was great, but it was Puerto Galera that I returned to for the 2nd time. There was just no comparison as far as quanity, variety and density of marine life in Puerto Galera. Yap had nice visbility and tons of hard corals.....But P.G. had it all with visibility in the 30-60 foot range. Edited September 2, 2006 by RebreatherDave Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cdascher 0 Posted September 3, 2006 Alex-What outfit do you use in the Red Sea? Is mid-October a decent time to dive there? Chris Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Graham Abbott 0 Posted September 13, 2006 Robert, Hilarious, loved your view on all this... But come on, we all love diving for our own different reasons. We all have somewhere that may be our favourite place at a certain time for a certain reason. For sure we all love each place for something different. Lets put it this way -- we must all have one place that if we had to say "right I have one last place that I have got to go again and it would be?"... For me, I love the adventure of diving, I love the fact that we can still search and find fantastic new dive sites, though after diving southern Irian with Mark Erdmann and Gerry Allen I am now really hanging out to get back there! Right now, this is my top place in the world. Next it may be Halmahera, we'll see how that one goes! Actually... no hold on a moment, for this moment in time my favourite place is Flores-Alor, I'm on my way there in a week or so. Fine critter diving, unique upwelling reef scenery and the friendliest, loveliest people on the planet surrounding you after dives on land. Oh once upon a time I used to be decisive now just I can't make my mind up anymore, I suppose my favourite place is where I am going next! But seriously -- I would say right now the number one spot that I am mad keen to get back to is southern Irian Jaya and a crazy place called Fakfak... Of course we need to get back to Larry who wrote this thread in the place to ask him what he likes on his dive trips... I've gotta say I haven't really done tons of big fish diving, of course I'm keen to get to Galapogas one day. Though I have to say that early on when I started diving, seeing sharks after sharks and big schools of fish got all a bit so so for me, of course I loved it but I wanted to see more, wanted to learn a little about what else was down there. This is when I found a great buddy from Canada and we started to get away from the guide and do our thing, go slow, stick ours head in the reef and look for the little colourful critters, the cryptic creatures and from time to time get a little ways off the reef to fully see take in the scenery around us. So Larry... I guess what everyone here needs to know is what kind of dive experiences have you had before and what have been the highlights of your dive trips up to now? Or maybe even funnier... did Larry add this thread title as a wind up? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Bantin 101 Posted September 13, 2006 Everone knows the best dive destination. The sea is always calm and the water is gin-clear. There are no currents but the reefs are teeming with life. Large predators swim round with whalesharks and mantas in shallow water. It's cheap and easy to get to, and they love having me there. The dive guides are all stunningly beautiful girls who just can't resist me. Where is it? Well, I don't know, but if you do please e-mail at home! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kelpfish 15 Posted September 13, 2006 it's a place called galapmicrofijicocosolomlemberajasipadcaliforpngthai-land Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Accipiter_13 0 Posted September 15, 2006 The Eddystone off Plymouth. Scenic, good (ish) vis, walls of jewel anemones, not too far away. Not sure if it is the 'best' but i have always liked it I also like the sound of galapmicrofijicocosolomlemberajasipadcaliforpngthai-land anyone know if they fly there from the UK . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdpriest 115 Posted September 23, 2006 Everyone is wrong. The best destination in the world is... ... the next one! Tim B) (Any old rubbish for my 100th posting!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeanB 19 Posted September 25, 2006 Right on the money Tim... Just like the best Beer... Always the next one... Dive safe DeanB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pierce 0 Posted January 29, 2009 Right on the money Tim... Just like the best Beer... Always the next one... Dive safe DeanB I also like beer but i always manage my tounge and humor so, please don't show off your humor. I think you understand. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oneyellowtang 95 Posted January 30, 2009 Claiming the "best" being "the next one" is a cop out...(but understandable given this bunch's thirst for new & exciting locations and experiences...) I would argue the "best" was likely the "first one," (or one of the first) and we spend the rest of our lives searching to recreate that magical feeling of wonderment we first discovered experiencing the underwater world for the first time. As for the "best locations:" - it seems to me that all the locations mentioned (and many more that were not) can deliver a "best dive ever" scenario. Simple example: After diving Palau, Yap, Guam, and Rota my wife and added a few days in Pohnpei (mostly to visit Nan Madol, the ancient "venice of the pacific"). We dove 3 mornings there, and several of the pass dives led to opportunities to "embed" ourselves (at least that's how it felt) into groups of 150+ grey reefies as they patrolled the pass openings. Nice, but not "best..." "Best" came when on an incoming tide we were motoring back to the hotel when the dive guide pointed to a number of black & white shapes near the surface off to our side - mantas feeding in the channel. We jump in w/snorkeling gear (and of course I've only got 4 shots left on my NikV), swim over to them, and snorkel with them for the next 45 min while 9-10 mantas feed below and around us. Well after I blow through my 4 shots there was one moment that I can still see in my mind (like the perfect shot you forever search for) where I was just returning to the surface (after free diving down to try to count how many we were actually looking at) and I look up to see my wife is surrounded on 4 sides by mantas. One below her feet, just about to arc back up, one on her right about to invert, a completely upside down one above her near the surface (with her reaching up trying to touch it's back - just out of reach, and yes - she shouldn't have), and one that was arching back down on her left. The optics were likely slightly off (may not have been traveling in exactly the same plane), but from my pov, at exactly that moment, it was "perfect." The irony of course is when we get out of the water I'm expecting some kind of comment like "that was one of life's great moments" and instead I get, "that was nice, wonder what's for lunch back at the hotel?" Yet when you ask her about snorkeling every morning with the Spinner Dolphins at Christmas Island (Kiribati) she'll tell you "it's like being in mother nature's presence..." Go figure - the Spinners are there every single morning and you can basically swim w/them (before the pod is fully awake) pretty much any morning you want... "Best" will always be subjective - and you balance this with the constant further exploration for the experience that will remind you of what it is you seek. - Matt Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maarten_NL 0 Posted January 30, 2009 Just like the best Beer... Always the next one... too bad everywhere you get Amstel or Heineken... it's the same as in the supermarket overhere The is no "best" destination for me.. Every destination has it's charmes and sweet spots. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pierce 0 Posted January 30, 2009 sharks? colour? Corals? whales? give us a hint of what you looking for... and i am sure we can help "Colors " He is saying about colors. I like blue one what is your favorite color? I waiting for your reply..... Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeVeitch 0 Posted January 30, 2009 "Colors " He is saying about colors. I like blue one what is your favorite color? I waiting for your reply..... Thanks Thats coloUr i like Yellow.. Like this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
